American Urological Association, May 19-23, 2012

The annual meeting of the American Urological Association was held from May 19 to 23 in Atlanta and attracted more than 12,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in urology. The conference highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of urologic conditions, with presentations focusing on the advancement of urologic patient care.

In one study, Kelly Johnson, M.D., of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., and colleagues identified a link between secondhand smoke exposure and bladder irritation in children.

"We evaluated 45 children between the ages of 4 and 17 years with bladder irritation. We divided these children into groups based on symptom severity (very mild, mild, moderate, and severe)," Johnson said. "Children with more significant exposure to secondhand smoke had a higher degree of bladder irritation. We found that 28 percent of the children with urinary dysfunction evaluated had exposure to secondhand smoke, which is 13 percent higher than the New Jersey statewide average."

Overall, children with greater exposure to secondhand smoke had higher symptom severity scores, especially children between 4 and 10 years of age.

In another study, Alayne Markland, D.O., of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and colleagues evaluated a large U.S.-based population of men who served in the U.S. Armed Forces to determine whether these men had a higher risk of urinary incontinence.

"We found that men who served in the U.S. Armed Forces had higher rates of urinary incontinence or bladder leakage. Even after adjusting for confounding factors we found that men younger than age 55 years had higher rates of urinary incontinence compared to older men," Markland said. "Practicing clinicians should consider asking men about urinary problems, including urinary incontinence, especially in men who have had military exposure and served in the armed forces."

"We recently completed a genome-wide association study and found four genetic variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) associated with either increased or decreased PSA secretion," Helfand said. "Individuals with all four genetic variations were more likely to produce higher amounts of PSA as compared to those who had none of the genetic variations."

The investigators also aimed to genetically correct PSA levels in high and low PSA producers in an effort to decrease the number of men requiring biopsy.

"We found that by implementing genetic correction of a man's PSA levels, we could possibly save between 180,000 to 220,000 men from undergoing an unnecessary biopsy in the United States, annually," Helfand said. "Currently, without correction for the SNPs, approximately 15 to 20 percent of the general male population may undergo delayed or unnecessary biopsies and we can reduce that with this new genetic approach. These genetic efforts improve upon the performance of PSA testing and provide a novel way to personalize prostate cancer screening."

THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of kidney stones has increased in the United States, with obesity and diabetes correlating strongly with a history of kidney stones, according to a study published online March 31 in European Urology and recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 19 to 23 in Atlanta.

TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Male baldness is associated with prostate cancer, with more severe balding patterns more strongly associated with cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, held from May 19 to 23 in Atlanta.